Conventionally, an automatic transaction device such as a cash dispenser or an ATM (automated teller machine), an information terminal device or the like is disposed in an unmanned store. Such a device is equipped with a device for issuing a receipt, a ticket or the like having necessary information printed thereon so as to inform customers of processed contents.
A printing method of the issuing device employs a thermal transfer type, a dot impact type, or the like. The issuing device is designed to dispense a roll paper from a paper roll, print necessary information on the dispensed roll paper, cut the printed portion using a cutting mechanism, and issue it as a receipt or a ticket.
The issuing device is configured to print necessary information on the paper line by line while allowing paper to be conveyed toward a paper discharge outlet. While the paper is being issued, the printed paper is discharged little by little from the paper discharge outlet. Thus, in case a customer grasps the paper while waiting for the issued paper being discharged, the conveyance of paper may be interrupted. In this case, the paper being discharged may be deformed to have a corrugated shape in a rolled state, which causes paper jams.
Also, in case the customer pulls out the paper during the issuance of the paper, printing or cutting errors may occur or a cutting blade of the cutting mechanism may be damaged under certain circumstances. Furthermore, in case the customer does not take the issued paper out of the issuing device, this may hinder subsequent issuance of a paper. In addition, if a third person takes the issued paper, protection of the customer's private information may not be ensured.
A paper discharge device is contemplated in which a printed paper is held until the completion of a printing process or a cutting process, and then the printed paper is discharged after the completion of the printing process or the cutting process.
Such a paper discharge device is provided with a conveying path along which paper is conveyed. A plurality of sensors for detecting a paper jam or paper remainder are disposed along the conveying direction of the paper in the conveying path.
However, when the distance between the respective sensors is larger than the length of the paper being conveyed, if the paper is positioned between two adjacent sensors, the paper may not be detected even though it remains within the paper discharge device.
Accordingly, in some configurations, where a paper has a length shorter than the distance between the sensors, the distance between the sensors is set to be shorter than the length of the paper.
In the meantime, the paper discharge device may adopt a technique in which a front end of the paper being issued is grasped by a pair of discharge rollers to prevent the paper from being discharged from a paper discharge outlet and the paper is kept in a rolled state until the completion of the printing and a cutting process of the paper. Alternatively, the paper discharge device may employ a technique in which a front end of the paper being issued is fed into a switch back unit and is held until the completion of the printing and cutting processes of the paper.
Further, after the paper discharge device discharges the paper through the paper discharge outlet upon the completion of the print and cutting processes of the paper, it may collect the discharged paper in a collecting container when the customer does not take out the paper.
However, in the configuration where the distance between the sensors is set to be shorter than the length of the paper being conveyed, a problem is posed in that a large number of the sensors are required. In addition, in the configuration where a medium having a length shorter than the distance between the sensors is detected for discharge, if the medium is conveyed in a reverse direction based on the fact that a first sensor detects the medium and all of the first sensors and the subsequent sensor(s) do not detect the medium, the presence or absence of the medium is detected by a sensor for detecting the conveyance of the medium in a reverse direction, thereby making it complicated to control the medium conveying system.
In configurations where the paper is kept in a rolled state or in which the paper is fed into a switch back unit for storage, a plurality of conveying roller pairs are disposed along the paper conveying path to convey the paper (while it is being interposed between the conveying roller pairs) into a storage unit. Thus, the arrangement of the conveying roller pairs requires significant space, which results in limiting the space required for the storage unit.
In the above configuration where only a limited space is available for the storage unit, a paper with a large length may not be properly kept in the storage unit. On the other hand, in a configuration where the space of the storage unit is made larger, there is a problem in that the paper discharge device becomes bulky and over-sized.
Moreover, recently, a holding unit is contemplated to hold a long paper in a small space by rolling the paper in a swirl shape.
However, in the configuration where the long paper is held in a rolled state in a swirl shape, there is a problem in that a flapper is separately required to selectively switch the conveying direction of the paper between a temporary holding unit or a collecting container, which leads to an increase in the number of parts.